Pantone 2017 Color of the Year: Greenery

Pantone’s 2017 color of the year is Greenery! Each year, Pantoneselects a symbolic color that is a snapshot of what they see taking place in the “global culture that serves as an expression of mood and an attitude.” So what does Greenery express this year?

Greenery (nature’s neutral), is refreshing, revitalizing and a symbol of new beginnings. Pantone describes the shade as a “fresh and zesty yellow-green that evokes the first days of spring when nature’s greens revive, restore and renew.” The color is meant to inspire consumers to “take a deep breath, oxygenate and reinvigorate” – think of any ‘re’- word (refresh, revive, rebirth, restore, etc) and it most likely can be applied to Greenery.

However, like every color selected by Pantone, there are some who just can’t get on board, saying Greenery reminds them of Kermit the Frog, guacamole, peas or green grapes. Good or bad vibes aside, we’ll be seeing the shade pop up in all areas of life in 2017.

{photo from shout.sg}

Pantone has been selecting colors of the year since 2000, reflecting that years’ cultural climate and influencing all facets of design including fashion, makeup, food, travel and interior décor. Perhaps the most popular Pantone color of the year was Marsala in 2015 (easily wearable in fashion and translated well to color makeup products like nail polish, lipstick, and eye shadow), and the color met with the most resistance and confusion was 2016’s double-selection of Rose Quartz and Serenity (a baby pink and baby blue).

Pantone Colors of the Year, 2000 – 2016

As you can see in the graphic above, there have been several variations of green/blue – the last time we had a green shade as color of the year was in 2013 with Emerald, which symbolized luxury. Greenery is going for the opposite of that, symbolizing minimalism and refocusing on nature in our technology-driven lifestyles.

While Greenery may appear to be a spirited color, Pantone has positioned it to easily be paired with neutrals, deep tones, brights, pastels and metallic. Not convinced? Start by using Greenery as an accent color rather than the focus of the color palette. Try a pop of green eyeliner, like Revlon’s Colorstay Eyelinerin Jade, or a green nail polish likeButter London’s Pantone collab in Greenery ($10) or any of the fun Sinful Colorsgreen shades (available at Walgreens, $2.99).

{photo from nailitmag.com}

What do you think of Greenery being selected as the color of 2017? Do you plan to incorporate it into daily fashion picks or home decor? Let us know in the comments!